It is named for French-American warehouseman Edouard Naud, who built a warehouse at the junction in 1878.[1] Naud Junction was marked by a signal tower built at Alameda and Ord streets in 1898. This was torn down in 1940, after Union Station was built.[2]

From 1905 to 1913, Naud Junction was the location of the city of Los Angeles' primary boxing pavilion, which was built by promoter Thomas McCarey. The pavilion paid host to both the world middleweight championship between Hugo Kelly and Tommy Burns, a heavyweight championship bout between Burns and Marvin Hart, and a featherweight championship bout between Abe Attell and Frankie Nell.[3]